Such an intriguing, compelling read! The last book I read by Ava Harrison was good, but it didn’t blow me away, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from this one. That cover is absolutely gorgeous so I’ll unashamedly admit that I was drawn back to her work because of it and…. it did not disappoint. This one is sexy and mysterious with an antihero who will win you over and a strong, defiant heroine who gives as good as she gets. The characters make this a true page-turner, with an original, fascinating story that has a dark edge and a push/pull relationship that keeps things interesting.

The story follows Cyrus, self-proclaimed king of the underworld. He’s not the typical romance hero – he does bad things on a daily basis and turns a blind eye to the bad deeds of others. The one thing he won’t tolerate? The sale of human flesh. When Cyrus finds himself wrapped up in a deal that feels all kinds of wrong, he becomes a captor of sorts – taking a young woman and holding her hostage… for her own good. Ivy isn’t the type of woman who will sit back and accept her fate; instead she fights back and clashes with her sexy captor until the tension sparks into something else entirely.

I love that Harrison is such a smart writer. This could’ve easily gone off the rails and made Cyrus seem like a terrible guy, but instead his actions just draw the reader in even more. The tension makes for a dynamic read, and I loved how complex the characters were. It kept me turning the pages just to see what would happen next, and that’s the mark of a good read. This one isn’t black and white; it’s definitely got shades of gray, but it held my attention the whole way through. Next time Harrison releases a book, it won’t take a great cover to get me reading – the quality of her work speaks for itself.